It seems like everyone is talking about artificial intelligence at the moment, and there's good reason for that. I firmly believe that the true value of AI – estimated to be worth $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030 – will be realized due to it being accessible to businesses of all shapes and sizes, not just multinational corporations. A vast and eclectic ecosystem of cloud-based, "as-a-service" platforms reduces the need for expensive infrastructure investments and also means that niche solutions exist to help automate solutions in every industry. But whether you're simply looking to use AI-augmented marketing tools or to implement machine learning and real-time data analytics from top to bottom of your organization, there are some important points to consider first. The cost of deploying AI may have fallen dramatically in the last decade, but it still requires an investment of time and money, and going into it half-cocked – simply because it seems like everyone else is doing it, and you have a fear of missing out – can be a recipe for an expensive disaster.